India Climbs to the 77th Henley Passport Index, Offering Visa-Free Access to 59 Countries
BETTIAH, Bihar, India—July 23, 2025: A lucky few places for India on the Henley Passport Index, which moved up eight places from 85th to 77th position as of the Q3 2025 report released today. This ranks India among the “compleatists,” allowing Indian passport holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 59 international destinations—an increase of two since the previous report. The gain remains indicative of India’s continuing engagement in diplomacy and increasing acceptance of its passport worldwide.
Understanding the Ranking Methodology
The Henley Passport Index ranks passports as the best possible authority. It does this according to how many destinations can be accessed without visa requirements for the holders of that passport. It uses unique data from the International Air Transport Association (the largest and most accurate travel information database): A score of ‘1’ is given for each destination where tourists do not need a visa or where they can obtain a visa-on-arrival or a visitor’s permit or ETA without pre-departure government approval—even though that approval is needed in some cases before that event occurs.
The index is updated every month, including 199 passports and 227 different travel destinations. The determinants of a passport’s strength consist of diplomatic relations, bilateral agreements, economic stability, and geopolitical events.
Visa-Free Destinations for Indians
With the latest update, Indian passport holders can now travel to 59 countries either visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival. Some notable destinations include
- Asia: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
- Africa: Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.
- North America (Caribbean): Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
- Oceania: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Niue, Palau Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
- South America: Bolivia.
While India’s jump is significant, Singapore continues to hold the top spot globally, offering visa-free access to 193 destinations. Japan and South Korea share the second position with access to 190 destinations.
Implication for Indian Travelers
This is an improvement in India’s rank, which means that Indian citizens can travel freely and conveniently. It will not become very tedious or costly to get an advance visa and might bring in increased international tourism and business travel from India. The increase in the number of added destinations, although small, is indicative of growing diplomatic influence and the efforts India is taking to bring about reciprocity in travel agreements with more nations.
In spite of movement in a positive direction, experts suggest that all travelers should check last-minute entry rules through official embassy or consulate websites before planning any trip since visa policies may change.
